The present invention relates to an electronic component feeding device that uses a component carrier tape in which chip-type electronic components are accommodated, and more particularly to an electronic component feeding device that feeds electronic components held in place on a carrier tape, while a top tape that covers the carrier tape is peeled away.
A conventional tape-type electronic component feeding device is described with reference to FIGS. 7 through 9. FIG. 7 shows a component carrier tape 100 which comprises a support tape 1 provided with cavities 2 for accommodating electronic components 3 therein. The support tape 1 is covered by a removable top tape 4 for preventing the electronic components 3 from jumping out of the cavities 2.
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the component carrier tape 100 is wound around a reel 7 that is fitted to a reel holder 6 provided at a proximal end of the electronic component feeding device 5. A reel support pin 8, provided in the reel holder 6, is passed through a hole in the center of the reel 7, and a reel guide 9, that is pivotally mounted at one end 9a, is engaged with an outer peripheral edge of the reel 7, whereby the reel 7 is held in position. As is shown in FIG. 9B, the reel guide 9 has a U-shaped cross section and is mounted across the width direction of the outer edges of the reel 7 such that both side pieces 9b are engaged with the outer surfaces of the outer peripheral of the reel 7.
The component carrier tape 100 is drawn out from the reel 7 and fed out by a tape feed wheel 11, that is rotatably operated via upward and downward motion of a feed lever 10 on the electronic component feeding device 5. The component carrier tape 100 is advanced at a distal end of the electronic component feeding device 5 such that it is pressed against a tape conveying surface 13 by a tape holder 12. As the component carrier tape is fed at a specified pitch by the tape feed wheel 11, the top tape 4 is peeled off via a slit 14 provided in the tape holder 12, and the electronic components 3 are removed by a suction nozzle 15 at a predetermined location.
The top tape 4 thus removed is wound onto a take-up cap 17 that is disposed downstream of the tape holder 12 in the advancing direction of the component carrier tape 100. The take-up cap 17 is mounted on a ratchet mechanism 16 that turns only in one direction through a reciprocating action of the feed lever 10.
In the above described conventional configuration, the reel guide 9 has a U-shaped cross-section of a fixed width and holds the reel 7 by being mounted across the width direction; it therefore cannot accommodate variations in the width of the reel 7. For example, if the width of the reel 7 is large, then the reel guide 9 will apply a large resistance to the rotation of the reel 7, which could result in an unstable delivery of the component carrier tape 100 from the reel 7. Further, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 9B, the difference in the width direction of the force working on the reel guide 9 creates a torsional moment, which makes it difficult to maintain reel guide 9 rigidity. Moreover, since the reel guide 9 cannot be used for various components of different dimensions respectively accommodated in tapes of different widths, a special reel guide 9 must be provided for each type of electronic component feeding device 5.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic component feeding device that can effect a stable feed of component carrier tapes of various sizes from reels of different dimensions.
An electronic component feeding device of the present invention comprises a reel guide which is pivotally mounted on a reel holder and which has a U-shaped, hook-like cross section. The reel guide is engaged with an outer peripheral edge of a reel thereby holding the reel. A distal end of the hooked part of the reel guide is formed such as to open outwardly at a fixed angle in relation to a wall of the reel. With the distal end of the hooked part of the reel guide formed such as to open outwardly at a fixed angle, reels of differing dimensions in the width direction can be stably held.
The reel guide can be made thin if it is constructed such as to engage with only one side wall of the reel. Moreover, a torsional force does not act on the reel guide as it does when the reel guide is engaged across the entire width of the reel, and therefore the rigidity can be increased. A common reel guide can thus be used for various reels of different dimensions.
The reel guide may be biased against the reel by means of a spring thereby holding the reel with a certain force. The reel guide with its hooked part formed at a fixed angle can thus stably hold reels of differing dimensions, as it engages closely with the outer edges of the reel without any gaps there between.
If a plurality of reel support points are provided to the reel holder so as to be selectively used in accordance with the reel size, the reel holding force of the reel guide can be kept constant, and reels of various dimensions can be accommodated in a common reel holder.
The reel holder may be made removable from the main body of the electronic component feeding device, whereby a common reel holder can be used in various electronic component feeding devices respectively accommodating different types of components of various different sizes and shapes.